1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inkjet printing systems and, more particularly, to a multi-color ink tank with elements enabling compatibility with a support structure for individual different color ink tanks.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional inkjet printing system forms an image on a print medium by ejecting ink from a plurality of ink jetting nozzles of an inkjet printhead to form a pattern of ink dots on the print medium. Inkjet printing is accomplished without contact between the printing system and the print medium. Such printing system typically includes a receptacle-like support structure mounted to a reciprocating carrier of the printing system. The carrier support structure permanently or at least semi-permanently mounts the inkjet printhead and also removably supports one or more ink containers or tanks in which ink is stored and from which ink is supplied to the printhead. The ink tanks when seated within the carrier support structure are engaged in a sealed ink supplying relationship with the printhead but may be removed and replaced once the ink is fully consumed during the printing operation.
In one embodiment of such inkjet printing system, a plurality of, and more particularly four, replaceable ink tanks are employed for supplying a corresponding plurality of printheads. Each tank contains ink of a different color and is adapted to be seated in a different one of multiple slots defined in the carrier support structure. Typically, the different colors are black (or mono), yellow, cyan and magenta. There are ribs or partitions in the carrier support structure separating the different slots from one another. Also, there are different keys in the slots adapting a given slot to receive and seat only a given one of the different color ink tanks. If the wrong color ink tanks are inserted in the wrong slots, cross-contamination of printheads can result. In another embodiment, there are two ink tanks employed in a different carrier support structure, one tank containing black ink and the other tank a multi-color, and more particularly a tricolor, ink tank having multiple, and more particularly three, separated interior spaces or compartments holding the other different color inks.
It would be desirable to be able to seat either the set of individual different color ink tanks or the one multi-color ink tank interchangeably in the respective slots of the same carrier support structure. This would decrease costs by reducing the number of different configurations of carrier support structures and/or ink tanks required for different printing systems.
The carrier support structure for seating the individual different color ink tanks also typically employs a latch for each different ink tank which releasably locks with a lip on the ink tank when the tank is seated within its respective slot in the carrier support structure. The latch is color coded to make it easier for a user to be able to insert the correct colored ink tank into the correct slot. If both the individual different color ink tanks and a single multi-color ink tank are to be made compatible with the same carrier support structure, it would be desirable to make it simple for users to select which one of different color coded individual latches is the correct one to actuate to unlock the multi-color ink tank for facilitating its easy removal and replacement.
Thus, there is a need for an innovation that will enable compatibility of the set of individual different color ink tanks and the multi-color ink tank with the same carrier support structure.